Most pharmacies in England are now providing the Pharmacy First service.
This free NHS service allows you or your child to get quick access to healthcare advice for the following seven conditions:
- Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
- Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
- Infected insect bites (aged 1 year and over)
- Shingles (aged 18 years and over)
- Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
- Sore throats (aged 5 years and over)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women (aged 16 to 64 years)
If you or your child has symptoms that suggest you may have one of these conditions, you can walk into a pharmacy and be offered a consultation with a pharmacist in a private consultation room. Some pharmacies also offer the service remotely as a video consultation.
Your GP surgery may also electronically refer you or your child to a pharmacy of your choice for the service.
The pharmacist will provide advice and, if clinically necessary, a prescription medicine to treat the condition (the normal NHS prescription charge rules apply to people aged 16 and over).
An electronic message will be sent to the GP surgery so they can update their records.
If the pharmacist can’t treat you or your child, they will direct you to your GP surgery or another health professional.
If you or your child have symptoms that suggest you have one of the above conditions, why not give the Pharmacy First service a try?
Think Pharmacy First!
Find out more by watching the Pharmacy First animation or visiting nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst
